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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
In these times of high heat, headaches can occur or even migraines. How to differentiate them? What medications should be avoided in the event of a heat wave? We take stock with Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo.
Flushes of heat, sweat, heatstroke… The heat wave is felt and its share of inconveniences too. Often intense headaches can occur due to the heat. In contrast, “it does not trigger migraines, unless you suffer from migraines in normal times”, says Dr Gérald Kierzek. In this specific case, it may indeed be that the heat is the cause of migraine attacks.
Headaches or migraines?
But, how to distinguish simple headaches from a real migraine? To find out, just look at the origin of the word migraine. The term “mi” means that it only impacts one side of the head. By definition, it is a relatively intense throbbing pain that affects only one side. Not to be confused with headaches which generally cause diffuse pain in the forehead and temples and grip the skull like a helmet.
Dr. Kierzek insists that the two terms are very distinct and do not necessarily result from the same causes. “Being hot and dehydrated gives headaches but not migraines in someone who doesn’t usually get migraines”, he says. In any case, if you know that you are sensitive to heat, it is better to protect yourself, migraine sufferer or not.
Medications to avoid during a heat wave
For Dr. Kierzek, “it is important to know the difference between headaches and migraines and to avoid self-medication. If you are a migraine sufferer, you take your usual treatment even during a heat wave”. For headaches, the causes can be different and in particular linked to dehydration due to high temperatures. In this case, certain drugs should be avoided.
The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) recalls that in the event of a heat wave, certain medicines “are likely to aggravate exhaustion-dehydration syndrome or heat stroke”. Generally, aspirin or paracetamol is not recommended for treating headaches and fever if they are unusual. It would seem that paracetamol is “ineffective in cases of heatstroke, and aspirin can disrupt the body’s thermoregulation”, specifies the ANSM website.
Other medications should be avoided during the heat wave because they could be at risk:
- Medicines taken for heart conditions such as diuretics, medicines for blood pressure and angina pectoris;
- Drugs used in psychiatry such as lithium salts;
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Medicines for epilepsy
- Certain medicines for Parkinson’s disease;
- Medicines for urinary incontinence
- Certain antibiotics.
Before any decision in relation to taking medication, the ANSM specifies that it is strongly advised to talk about it with your doctor. Stopping or taking medication should not be a trivial act, especially in the event of high temperatures.
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Keep your medications well during a heat wave
In general, no indication is specified on the medicine boxes. If special precautions are included, there are several recommendations to follow, detailed by the ANSM:
- For medicines to be stored between +2 and +8°C: they are to be stored in refrigerators or cold rooms, high temperatures should have no effect on their stability if they are used fairly quickly once removed from the refrigerator. The temperature of the refrigerators must be checked regularly;
- For medicines to be stored at a temperature below 25 or 30°C: occasional exceeding, from a few days to a few weeks, of these temperatures has no consequence on the stability or the quality of these medicinal products
- For biological medicinal products (insulin, somatropin, etc.) in multidose presentation which are kept out of the refrigerator after opening at temperatures not exceeding 25°C or 30°C: in case of exposure to higher temperatures, get closer, possibly with the help of a pharmacist, to the laboratory whose name and contact details appear on the outer packaging and the leaflet of the medicine.
With regard to suppositories, ovules or creams, the appearance of the product should be an indicator of its use or not. “Any product that is visibly altered in appearance should not be used,” explains the organization.